READY TO WRITE

Type, Write or Dictate . . .?

By now, everyone in the business world from Mississippi to Maine knows that communications are going electronic. Sometime soon, businesspeople will write exclusively on computers. Until then, however, the question still arises, Which is better: keyboard, pen, or dictation?

Most likely, you’ll find the answer at work. I’m always amazed at how many of my corporate clients don’t supply their employees with computers. Instead, they write letters by hand and send them to secretaries who diligently type away. Or, they dictate their messages which secretaries type and mail. Other clients insist that their employees type every word on the computer, whether it is a quick memo or a lengthy report. Some corporations have employees send documents electronically so that their message never actually moves from screen to paper.When you do have a choice, which of the three forms of writing is best? For most people, the computer is the first choice. But each form has both drawbacks and advantages.
Computer
Pros: The computer is the businessperson’s jet, while pen and dictation are twin-engine planes teetering tentatively in the breeze. With computers you can write quickly, letting your fingers fly from key to key. Make a mistake? Just backspace and delete. Need to add a point three lines up? Just move the cursor and type away. One of the greatest advantages of the computer is that if you save your writing periodically, on floppy as well as hard disk, you can easily file your work. Finally, computers are the future. Already businesspeople E-mail internal and external messages of every length, bypassing the days of ink and paper altogether.Cons: As a former computerphobe I can tell you that the downside of computers is shrinking as the benefits rise. Still, here it is:
1. Computers are expensive. A good computer can cost between $1,000 and $10,000. That’s a lot compared with the few hundred dollars you’d spend on a typewriter and the $3 you’d spend every few months on paper and pen.
2. Once you save enough to buy that computer or your company gives you one, you must learn to use it.
3. Computers can cause health problems, such as bad backs, headaches, and carpal tunnel syndrome, if your chair and the screen aren’t positioned right.

Pen

Pros: Except for personal letters, handwritten notes are withering into extinction. But, yes, pen and paper do have advantages. This mode of writing is familiar, particularly if you grew up writing longhand. Besides, a pad of paper is infinitely easier to carry around than even the smallest, most lightweight computer. Just slip it in your bag or briefcase. Smash it into a wall? It’s all right; paper doesn’t break. Damage the pad? Don’t worry about the expense of repairs; just purchase another. Some people like the feel of writing; the movement of their hands against the paper somehow brings the message closer.

Cons: Writing with pen and paper is perhaps one of the greatest time wasters in the business world. For starters, you need to duplicate your effort; you write, then input what you have written into the computer or typewriter. Make a mistake? You need to scratch out your words, creating an inky mess. Finally, handwritten documents are hard to organize, particularly if you bring work home from the office.

Dictation

Pros: Surprise! People actually do dictate. Perhaps you’re one of them. And although many people claim that dictation is best suited for Perry Mason reruns, dictation does have some benefits. First, it’s the fastest way to get your message out — fastest for the dictator, that is. In addition, you can dictate anywhere — in the car as you rush between appointments, in a restaurant while waiting for a client, in bed as you doze off to sleep. And, you can dictate with your eyes closed.

Cons: Dictation ravenously consumes massive amounts of time. You dictate the message, then another person has to type it, winding and rewinding the tape to catch particularly complex portions. If you’re sending the message, you have very little editorial control. When speaking, you can’t see the words, and you really have no idea how they translate as a written message. You have to hope that the person transcribing your words is a strong writer and can give them the shape and sense they need. Finally, unlike writing, which gives you maximum contact with words, dictating won’t help you communicate better. Your words just drift onto a machine and ultimately . . . away.